Increased operating temperatures of jet engine components advance the performance of the overall engine cycle. Recent technological advancements involve materials such as ceramic matrix composites (CMC's) that are adapted for turbine gas path hardware including blades and vanes capable of withstanding repeated exposure to high combustion and gas path temperatures. These materials have higher temperature capability, lower density, and lower coefficients of thermal expansion than conventional superalloys. However, lower strength capability combined with low coefficients of thermal expansion poses certain challenges for turbine applications.
The lower density of CMC blades allow for higher taper and higher broach angles which can improve thrust recovery from combustion gases. However, the resulting retention stresses can impact the integrity of CMC blades.